Attitudes towards complementary and alternative medicine among medical and psychology students

The use of complementary and alternative medicine (CAM) is increasing in Europe as well as in the USA, but CAM courses are infrequently integrated into medical curricula. In Europe, but also especially in the USA and in Canada, the attitudes of medical students and health science professionals in va...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Psychology, health & medicine health & medicine, 2011-03, Vol.16 (2), p.225-237
Main Authors: Ditte, Darja, Schulz, Wolfgang, Ernst, Gundula, Schmid-Ott, Gerhard
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Adolescent
Adult
Aged
Alternative medicine
Attitude of Health Personnel
Attitudes
Biological and medical sciences
CAM
Complementary Therapies - education
conventional medicine
Curriculum
Europe
Female
gender
Germany
Health staff related problems. Vocational training
Humans
Male
Medical sciences
Medical students
Mental Disorders - psychology
Middle Aged
Psychology
Psychology - education
psychology students
Psychology. Psychoanalysis. Psychiatry
Psychopathology. Psychiatry
Referral and Consultation
Social psychiatry. Ethnopsychiatry
Somatoform Disorders - psychology
Students, Health Occupations - psychology
Students, Medical - psychology
Surveys and Questionnaires
Treatment Outcome
USA
Young Adult
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Summary:The use of complementary and alternative medicine (CAM) is increasing in Europe as well as in the USA, but CAM courses are infrequently integrated into medical curricula. In Europe, but also especially in the USA and in Canada, the attitudes of medical students and health science professionals in various disciplines towards CAM have been the subject of investigation. Most studies report positive attitudes. The main aim of this study was to compare the attitudes towards CAM of medical and psychology students in Germany. An additional set of questions concerned how CAM utilisation and emotional and physical condition affect CAM-related attitudes. Two hundred thirty-three medical students and 55 psychology students were questioned concerning their attitudes towards CAM using the Questionnaire on Attitudes Towards Complementary Medical Treatment (QACAM). Both medical students and psychology students were sceptical about the diagnostic and the therapeutic proficiency of doctors and practitioners of CAM. Students' attitudes towards CAM correlated neither with their experiences as CAM patients nor with their emotional and physical condition. It can be assumed that German medical and psychology students will be reluctant to use or recommend CAM in their professional careers. Further studies should examine more closely the correlation between attitudes towards CAM and the students' worldview as well as their existing knowledge of the effectiveness of CAM.
ISSN:1354-8506
1465-3966
DOI:10.1080/13548506.2010.532559